Snowprints
by Lady Chocobo
Summary: when shadowclan's new leader chooses to harbor a thunderclan murderer, war breaks out just in time for the harshest winter any cat can remember. the young fugitive insists on his innocence, and badgerstar has no choice but to believe him. after all, the murders haven't stopped and the killer only seems to be getting bolder.
1. Chapter i: badgerstar

**Finally got this started! This has been an idea I've had for awhile, but I was busy and lazy and am just now posting it. I'm excited for it, and I hope you guys enjoy this. :) **

**Allegiances will be at the bottom! Also, a shoutout to The Mystical Palm Tree for helping me with almost every name you'll see in the SC allegiances. She also has a story you can check out; it's really interesting, even though the prologue has only been posted.**

**This story will be written in present tense, since I want to try it out. I'll see how it goes.**

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><p>He wakes up, and blinks his eyes to adjust to the light. The sound of cheering cats still ring in his ears. He sits up slowly, yawning and licking his lips before looking around the hollow. Water flows from a cleft into the pool. As the tom looks around, lost in his thoughts, a scent hits him, making him turn.<p>

He looks over and sees a small gray tom sit up and lean back from the pool, water dripping from his whiskers. Seeing him, the tom smiles, tail curling. "How was it?" He asks.

The larger cat smiles. "It was amazing."

The small gray tom nods. "I'm sure it was. Congratulations, Badgerstar."

The large tom - Badgerstar - shyly ducks his head and stares at his paws. "Thank you, Smokeberry. Um...Should we be getting back?" He asks as he looks at the sky which is starting to turn pink and orange.

Smokeberry follows Badgerstar's gaze and gets up, stretching to work out the aches from sitting so long. "Yes, we should. C'mon."  
>Badgerstar follows the small tom out of the hollow, and they begin the trek back to their Clan.<p>

As they walk, Smokeberry starts to talk. "I hope the Clan is alright. Before we'd left, Lightflower had informed me that Littlekit had a cough; I gave him some coltsfoot and told her to keep an eye and alert me if it started up again."

Badgerstar nods, worry curling in his stomach. Lightflower's kits had been born a moon ago, and while they were healthy upon birth, with leaf-bare on the way, any cat could get sick. It worried him even more when it was young cats that got sick.

"Have you thought of taking an apprentice?"

Smokeberry looks up, surprise flicking on his face before he mews, "I have, yes. However, I haven't caught any cat that catches my eye, yet. Maybe one of Leafclaw's kits will want to be one when they're born."

Badgerstar smiles at the she-cat's name. Leafclaw is one of ShadowClan's fiercest warriors, renowned for her fighting skills; though, the she-cat was recently moved into the nursery with Stormfire's kits. Badgerstar wishes them well when they'd told him, and smiles at the memory. "Maybe," he agrees.

The medicine cat looks at his leader, smiling. "Speaking of apprentices, are you thinking of taking on another one?"

Badgerstar feels his fur burn and looks away, not knowing what to say. He wouldn't object to it, but all of ShadowClan's current apprentices already have mentors that are strong and formidable warriors and Badgerstar - if he's being honest - knows he won't be able to compete with them. Besides, they can teach better than he can.

Smokeberry lets it drop, and says, "We're here."

Badgerstar looks up, and as the thorn tunnel comes into view, he can hear his Clanmates, their voices sounded pleased after a hard day of work. He stops, and his whiskers twitch with aniexty. Smokeberry pauses and looks back, concern on his face.

"What's wrong?"

Badgerstar swallows hard, and flattens his ears against his head. "I..." He trails off, and shakes his head trying to rid himself of these silly nerves.

Smokeberry turns to face him. "The Clan will accept you, you know. ...Well, maybe not every cat will, but most of them respect you."  
>Badgerstar shakes himself, and nods. He's not really worried about that, but if he stays out here he'll miss the deputy ceremony, and StarClan will be angry; he knows this much from seeing previous ones during his time in ShadowClan.<p>

He and the medicine cat step through the thorn tunnel together, and almost immediately, are bombarded by voices and scents alike.

"Badgerstripe! You're back!"

"That's Badgerstar now, frog-brain."

"Welcome back."

"Finally! Took you long enough."

Badgerstar nods goodbye to Smokeberry, who is headed towards the nursery (probably to check on Littlekit) and a blue-gray tom bounds up to him, excitement in his face.

"Badgerstar! How was it?" The tom lowers his voice. "Did you see StarClan?"

"I did," the tom answers, and smiles as the other cat's eyes widen.

"That's so cool!" He mews and turns around to see a dark brown tom padding towards them.

"Juniperpaw, let Badgerstar breathe. He just got back and probably wants to rest a bit before he does the ceremony."

Juniperpaw dips his head and scampers off over to two other apprentices; he starts to chat with them, and they bend their heads close together as they talk.

The tom snorts, though his whiskers are twitching and he turns to the leader. "Welcome back, Badgerstar."

"Thank you, Rowanwhisker," Badgerstar mews softly.

The tomcat nods and moves past him, and Badgerstar starts the trek to the leader's den. As he walks, another cat stops him; this one a black tom . "I heard you got your leader name. It's well-deserved."

Badgerstar blinks, surprised. "T-thank you, Crowfrost."

Crowfrost nods briskly, and sets off again, passing another cat who Badgerstar recognizes as Owlnose. The two toms walk off, heads bent low together as they converse.

Badgerstar reaches the leader's den, and feels his paws prickle. He shakes it off, and heads inside making himself comfortable on the bed of fresh moss. When he realizes this, he smiles. One of the apprentices must have left it for him. Looking around, he notices a magpie sitting to his left and moves it towards him. He noses through the feathers and bites down; even after this much time eating forest food, it still feels odd how different it tastes from the food he used to eat when he lived with his housefolk.

He still thinks that their food tastes better than any forest food combined; he'll never say it aloud, though. His leadership has been hard enough to accept as it is. He swallows as he remembers when he'd made the announcement to the Clan; that Ravenstar had passed away and he was to be leader. Some cats had actually left the Clan... He doesn't know what happened to them. He hopes they're alright, wherever they are.

He shakes the thought off. He has a Clan that he needs to worry about now, and he needs to make sure he doesn't mess up and do his best to gain the trust of the cats who don't fully believe in him yet.

He finishes with his bird and sets it aside. Badgerstar looks out at the sky, and blinks. The sky has darkened and clouds are moving in. A breeze blows into the den, ruffling his fur. He shivers. Before long it will be moonhigh and he knows he will have to name a deputy. Worry makes his insides clench. This was the one thing he'd been worry about.

As he watches the Clan mingle about, he figures he might as well get it over with. He trots out of the den, and makes his way to the tall tree that hangs over it. His claws dig into the bark and he makes his way up the tall branch that overlooks the Clan. As he looks down, ShadowClan has started to assemble.

He sees Leafclaw outside the nursery, as Stormfire nuzzles her. Lilypool and Lightflower are smiling as they watch the two, their kits tumbling over the queens. Crowfrost and Owlnose are still deep in conversation, while Juniperpaw is chatting excitedly to his fellow 'paws, Lionpaw and Sandpaw. From the elder's den, Mudtail and Gingersplash are listening to Darkflight tell a story most likely, nodding in agreement.

Badgerstar gets onto the branch, and looks down at his Clan. His legs shake, and he shivers. He hopes he doesn't end up falling...

The Clan has started to quiet down, and they look up at him. Before he knows it, he has more pairs of eyes than he can count all aimed at him. For a moment, his minds goes white. What is he supposed to say, again?

It comes back to him in a rush. He blinks, and when he looks back down, he doesn't see glowing eyes; he sees the Clan - _his_ Clan - looking steadily back at him and he can spot some familiar faces within the crowd.

He clears his throat and begins to speak. "ShadowClan -" he stops as his voice squeaks, and some cats let out amused purrs - "ShadowClan. The time has come. Listen, and I will appoint the new deputy. I say these words before StarClan so that our ancestors may hear and approve my choice."

Badgerstar looks out at his Clan, and then -

"Brightstorm will be the deputy of ShadowClan."

There is a pause, and he sees Brightstorm stand up, her white pelt still visible, ears twitching in surprise. He smiles as she pads forward and looks out to the Clan.

"Thank you, Badgerstar. ...It's an honor, and I promise to serve ShadowClan well."

The Clan starts to cheer her name, their voices rising into a crescendo. "Brightstorm! Brightstorm! Brightstorm!"

Badgerstar makes his way down the tree, and pads over to the new deputy, who's friends are congratulating her. "Surprised?" He asks, purring.

She turns to him, and her eyes are bright. "I wasn't expecting you to choose me, if I'm being honest. But thank you. I won't let you or the Clan down." She dips her head to him and slips away, padding over to a group of friends, and sits down, beginning to chat.

The sky has grown even darker now, and the moon hangs in the sky. Badgerstar yawns suddenly, and makes his way over to Smokeberry's den. As he nears, he can hear the medicine cat talking to someone.

"The thorn should be out now. If it still hurts tomorrow, come back and see me."

"Okay. Thanks, Smokeberry." The voice says and the cat it belongs to slips out and Badgerstar comes face-to-face with Thistleheart.

The blue-gray tom blinks, before nodding stiffly and moving past the leader. Badgerstar watches him go, feeling his insides twist, before turning to Smokeberry. "Hi," he greets.

"Hello. You chose a good cat for the deputy, I think."

Badgerstar ducks his head shyly, feeling his pelt warm. "Thank you. I was having a hard time and in the end, Brightstorm seemed like the best choice."

Smokeberry nods as he arranges a few herbs. "She's a hard worker, and has trained many apprentices that have grown into fine warriors; she'll keep the Clan in line. Did you need something?"

Badgerstar shake his head. "No, I was just stopping by before I went to bed. I-if that's okay," he adds hastily, not wanting to bother the medicine cat.

Smokeberry twitches his whiskers in amusement. "It's fine. I was just taking care of Thistleheart's paw. He had a thorn in it - again. I swear..."

Badgerstar purrs in amusement. He and Smokeberry exchange a few more words, before the tom nods to the medicine cat and sets off towards the den to sleep.

He steps inside, and yawns widely, toes curling. He pads over to the moss nest and flops down, sighing softly. Today had been exhausting. He still remember when he'd woke up this morning and had gone to lead a patrol to RiverClan - something about them marking borders too close or something - and before he knew it, he was told by Smokeberry that Ravenstar had passed away and that he was to be leader.

He yawns again, and his eyes start to droop shut. Before he fully falls asleep, he hears words whispered into his ear.

"_Be careful, Badgerstar. Danger lurks where you least expect it."_

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><p><strong>Woo, first chapter down. :3 I've got some plans for this thing, and I would love feedback. What you liked, what you didn't like, what you think could be improved on etc. And if you're a bit confused, don't worry. Everything will be explained in due time.<strong>

**ALLEGIANCES**

**shadowclan**

**leader:** badgerstar - black and white tom with yellow eyes

**deputy:** brightstorm - white she-cat with pale yellow tabby markings on ears

**medicine cat:** smokeberry - small gray tom with green eyes

**warriors:**

stormfire- very dark gray tom with yellow eyes

crowfrost - pure black tom with yellow eyes (apprentice: sandpaw)

owlnose - brown tabby tom with green eyes (apprentice: cloudpaw)

rowanwhisker - dark ginger tabby tom with long whiskers (apprentice: juniperpaw)

sorrelfang - ginger and white tabby tom

thistleheart - blue-gray tom

hazelfoot - golden brown and white tabby she-cat (apprentice: lionpaw)

cedarleaf - red-brown tabby tom with green eyes

snakestream - slender brown tabby tom with black markings

lizardtooth - light brown tabby tom

dawnleaf - dilute tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

minnowstripe - silver tabby she-cat with a paler underbelly

honeythorn - golden tabby she-cat with dark amber eyes

nightfeather - long-haired black she-cat with a white spot on their chest

**apprentices:**

juniperpaw - blue-gray tom (10 moons)

sandpaw - pale yellow tabby she-cat (8 moons)

cloudpaw - white she-cat with green eyes (8 moons)

lionpaw- unusual golden ticked tabby tom (7 moons)

**queens:**

leafclaw - slender tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes (expecting stormfire's kits)

lightflower - cream-colored she-cat with pale tabby markings (mother to cedarleaf's kits: redkit, rosekit, and squirrelkit)

lilypool - white she-cat with green eyes (mother of lizardtooth's kits: littlekit and whitekit)

**kits:**

littlekit - small long-furred white tom with green eyes (3 moons)

whitekit - white tom with small tabby patches (3 moons)

redkit - long-haired red tabby tom (5 moons)

rosekit - dark red and white tabby she-cat (5 moons)

squirrelkit - fluffy red tabby she-cat with a notably long tail (5 moons)

**elders:**

mudtail - dark brown tabby tom

darkflight - very dark brown tabby tom

gingersplash - ginger tabby she-cat with white legs, belly, chest, and jaw

**thunderclan**

**leader: **spiderstar - very dark brown she-cat with amber eyes

**deputy:** leopardstorm - dark brown spotted tabby she-cat

**medicine cat: **blackwhisker - small black tom with leaf-green eyes

**windclan**

**leader:** gorsestar - sandy brown tom

**deputy:** rabbitnose - small gray tom with amber eyes

**medicine cat:** hollyfern - black she-cat with green eyes (apprentice: falconpaw)

**riverclan**

**leader:** troutstar - pale gray tabby she-cat

**deputy:** voletail- dark brown tabby tom

**medicine cat: **lilyfrost - white she-cat with green eyes (apprentice: stoatwhisker)


	2. Chapter ii: cloudpaw

**Thanks to Mystical Palm Tree and Snowspider of ColdClan for reviewing! :)**

**Enjoy this one, whoever's reading~**

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><p>"Cloudpaw, get up." A voice hisses.<p>

The white molly opens her blue eyes and blinks sleepily, yawning. Owlnose's face appears in her vision, and she gets up slowly making her way over to the den entrance. When she emerges into the camp, Owlnose grunts. "Good, I didn't know how long I was going to have to say your name. You're on the dawn patrol with me."

He stalks away, and Cloudpaw stretches as she follows her mentor. As she nears the tunnel to the outside of camp, she spots Brightstorm talking quietly with Crowfrost, while a few tail-lengths away, Thistleheart is pacing back and forth, looking grumpy and annoyed as his claws dig up dirt. His tail lashes back and forth behind him.

Cloudpaw mews a greeting, which Brightstorm returns. Owlnose goes over to Thistleheart and begins to talk. As Cloudpaw watches, she can't help but wish that at least another apprentice was assigned to this patrol. At least then she'd have someone to talk to. Oh well.

A scent hits her and she turns, her face breaking into a grin. "Badgerstar!" She mews cheerfully and bounces in place.

Badgerstar pads over slowly, and mews a quiet greeting.

"Hi," he says softly.

Brightstorm turns to him, and nods. "Morning. The dawn patrol is about to leave; these are the cats I've chosen."

The black-and-white tom purrs. "A good group." At this, Cloudpaw puffs out her chest, which gets a flick over the ear from Owlnose. The molly ducks her head and sticks out her tongue. Owlnose gives her a look, and she sighs as she sits on her haunches and waits for the leader and deputy to finish talking.

"Make sure you stay safe, and be careful around the ThunderClan border." Badgerstar continues.

Owlnose snorts. "I doubt Spiderstar will want to pick a fight, but you never know with ThunderClan these days, especially after what happened last time."

Badgerstar nods grimly, which makes Cloudpaw's stomach do a nervous flip. She wasn't on that particular patrol when it happened, but she does remember how her Clanmates had come back, out of breath and angry, some of them sporting injuries. Something about how ThunderClan had tried to push into ShadowClan territory. She swallows nervously, and Owlnose nudges her gently with one paw. She blinks up at her mentor, and smiles.

Thistleheart snorts loudly, earning a cuff over the ear from Crowfrost. The blue-gray tom curls his lip and slinks away, heading towards the camp entrance. Badgerstar watches him go, and shuffles his paws. Brightstorm follows his gaze, and shakes her head. "I'll keep him in line," she promises. She flicks her tail and the rest of the assembled cats follow her out into the forest.

Cloudpaw follows after the deputy, mewing a quick goodbye to Badgerstar. The black and white tom purrs a goodbye, before he disappears into the camp.

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><p>"Cloudpaw, pay attention."<p>

The white apprentice blinks, tearing her gaze away from watching a squirrel make its way up a tree and turns to her mentor. Owlnose is looking at her, his tail flicking slowly from side to side. Cloudpaw smiles sheepishly and feels her ears burn. "I'm sorry, Owlnose. What were you saying?"

Owlnose sighs heavily, and flicks his tail over her ear. "Hunting. We're going to practice. I know this is a patrol, but extra lessons couldn't hurt anyone."

Cloudpaw nods and listens intently as Owlnose explains how to catch frogs; when he's finished, Cloudpaw crouches down and stalks across the forest floor as she imagines herself hunting one of the amphibians. Her mentor corrects her posture and soon, she has it down. She sits up and turns back to her mentor, awaiting his next instructions. Before he can speak, she hears a sharp hiss and Thistleheart's voice reaches her ears.

"ThunderClan!"

Cloudpaw jumps up and races over to the tom's voice, Owlnose close behind her. As they near, she can spot Thistleheart and Crowfrost standing next to each other, with Brightstorm alongside them. ThunderClan scent hits her sharply, and Cloudpaw sees a group of four cats, one of them she thinks is an apprentice. She stands beside her mentor and Crowfrost, fluffing up her fur to make herself look bigger and hopefully appear as a threat to the ThunderClan cats.

"Hi, ShadowClan cat," a silver tom meows cheerfully. Cloudpaw stares at him, as Brightstorm just flicks an ear in what appears to be annoyance.

"What brings you so close to the ShadowClan border, Stoneclaw?" Brightstorm asks, ignoring the silver tom and focusing on a dark gray she-cat next to him.

Stoneclaw narrows her eyes. "We scented ShadowClan near our border and came to investigate."

"Well, of course you did. You're near _our_ border," Thistleheart snaps.

Stoneclaw ignores him, and her gaze remains fixed on Brightstorm. Cloudpaw swallows nervously, as she watches the two she-cats stare each other down. "I can assure you that ShadowClan hasn't crossed your border, if that's what you're wondering," Brightstorm mews calmly, while flicking her tail for silence. Cloudpaw thanks StarClan as Thistleheart falls silent, though he mutters to himself under his breath. Luckily, none of the ThunderClan cats hear him.

Another cat steps forward, this one a dark brown tabby. "ThunderClan is growing bigger and bigger every day; this is making it harder to feed our queens and kits." As the tabby says this, Cloudpaw watches as Thistleheart narrows his eyes.

"Well, you're not getting any ShadowClan territory," he hisses. Owlnose nods, and Crowfrost gives a flick of his tail in agreement.

Stoneclaw is silent for a few moments, and then nods. "Very well. Take it, then." She gives a sharp nod to the cats behind her.

It happens in a blur of claws and movement; one minute, Cloudpaw is watching the ThunderClan cats, and then they all surge forward, claws unsheathed. Cloudpaw hears Brightstorm hiss and at the deputy's signal, Cloudpaw runs forward to meet the attacking cats,

A gray blur crashes into her, and she and the ohter cat go rolling across the ground. The larger cat pins her, and sneers. "I didn't know ShadowClan let their kits start apprenticeship early."

Cloudpaw snarls at the cat, and bats her paws in their face, startling them. The larger apprentice backs off, and Cloudpaw rises to her feet, and charges while trying to remember the moves Owlnose has taught her.

She leaps on the cat's back, digging her claws into the shoulder of her enemy. The cat yowls in rage and bucks her off; Cloudpaw flies through the air and lands on the ground hard, the air leaving her lungs. She groans, and stands up, having a moment to look around.

Brightstorm is fighting furiously with Stoneclaw, and she can see blood on the deputy's flank. Crowfrost is helping Thistleheart battle against the silver tom and Owlnose is fighting wit a furious looking tom cat with a dark black pelt.

The apprentice runs at her again, and this time, Cloudpaw slips around them and kicks out with her hind legs, sending them skidding across the ground.

"I thought ThunderClan was supposed to be good on their paws?" She can't help but taunt.

The apprentice stands up, spitting dirt and shaking their gray pelt. As she looks closely, she finally is able to recognize the ThunderClan as Sootpaw. She vaguely remembers him at gatherings, boasting about his skills to anyone who will listen. Now, though, he doesn't look like he wants to do anything expect tear her fur off. Cloudpaw grins, and lowers herself into a crouch and wiggles her haunches as she stares at him. Sootpaw bares his teeth, and start to circle each other.

Sootpaw lunges forward, and his claws slash across her nose. Cloudpaw squeaks in pain, and falls back, blood dripping onto the ground. Sootpaw takes this opportunity to kick her legs out from under her and pins her down, placing his full weight on her. Cloudpaw struggles underneath him, kicking him with her back legs but he won't budge. Sootpaw leans into her space, and smiles.

"I thought ShadowClan was supposed to be good on their paws?" He jeers, and Cloudpaw spits in his face. Sootpaw growls, and Cloudpaw smirks.

Then he sinks his claws into her neck.

Cloudpaw coughs, and writhes on the ground as she desperately tries to buck him off. Blood is starting to drip down her neck, as Sootpaw bites harder. She tries to call for Owlnose, for Crowfrost, for anyone, but she can't get the words out. As more blood starts to drip down her neck, staining her fur, Cloudpaw's vision starts to fuzz around the edges.

_Owlnose... Someone, help, _she pleads silently, and flails underneath Sootpaw.

She hears her name being called urgently. "Cloudpaw!"

She can hear pawsteps moving toward them, and bats weakly at Sootpaw's nose. The ThunderClan apprentice doesn't let up, sinking his teeth deeper still into her neck. As her vision starts to fade, she hears cats yelling from both sides.

"Get off!"

"Cloudpaw! Cloudpaw, can you hear me?"

She gasps, and breathes in. Owlnose is nudging her, and she feels the weight of Sootpaw lifted off her. "Cloudpaw, we'll get you back to camp, okay? Smokeberry can patch you up and then-"

She tries to nod, and closes her eyes.

"Cloudpaw, stay with me. C'mon, Cloudpaw, d-don't... Cloudpaw?"

She's tired and wants to rest. Maybe Owlnose will let her sleep in tomorrow...

"Cloudpaw? _Cloudpaw_!"

The last thing she sees is her mentor's face in her vision, before everything fades to black.

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><p><strong>woo, a cliffhanger, i guess. c: won't find out how cloudpaw fares till next chapter, when we're back in badger's pov. also, i realize i made a mistake in chapter one. littlekit and whitekit are lilypool's kits, not lightflower's. x3 so, i will be changing that asap.<strong>

**some questions, if you could answer them, that'd be great.**

**1. what did you like about this chapter? did anything stand out to you? if so, what/why?**

**2. what do you think could be improved about this chapter (and the writing in general)? **

**if anything, answering the question 2 would be great. :3 i'd like to know what could be improved, so i can work on bettering it in the future. :D**

**anyway, thanks for reading and i'll see you next chapter!**

**~ choco**


	3. Chapter iii: badgerstar

**Thanks for the reviews last chapter! :)**

**Chapter 3 has arrived. Enjoy. :3**

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><p>He is running.<p>

He doesn't know where he is going. Pine trees tower over him, obscuring the moon just slightly. As he runs, a mouse quickly darts in front of him and he chases after it. His paws kick up dust and dirt, and the rodent goes into a zigzag pattern as it tries to lose him. He runs faster, his paws pounding on the earth. He needs to catch this. The Clan has been doing decently with food, but still, everything counts. Especially when they have queens, kits and elders to feed.

The mouse is still putting up a good chase, but he is gaining on it. When he gets close enough, he lashes out with a forepaw and strikes the mouse. It tumbles down onto the ground, sending up small clouds of dust. He nears it, flexing his claws. He doesn't like to bite the prey; he prefers to just use his claws. He towers over the prey, and unsheathes his claws as he gets ready to deal the killing blow.

The mouse looks up at him calmly, whiskers twitching. He pauses, blinking in confusion. Shouldn't it be cowering or at least trying to run away? As he ponders this, the mouse starts to change. It almost doubles in size, and its features distort. With the transformation done, he is staring not a mouse anymore, but a large cat-beast. The cat grins, revealing needle-sharp teeth. It bunches its muscles and the tom is running away, as the beast chases after him, growling and snarling.

As he runs, the monster calls out to him, a guttural snarl.

"Badgerstar," it says. "Badgerstar, where are you going?"

He runs, trying his best to ignore the monster. Before he knows it, more voices join in.

"Badgerstar, come back. Please..."

He runs faster, his heart pounding heavily in his chest. The monsters' voices grow louder and louder and soon, they are screaming.

"_Badgerstar! Badgerstar!"_

His fear scent overwhelms him and he has a good idea that the monsters can smell it too.

_"Badgerstar!"_

He quickens his pace, trying his best to outrun them. He doesn't know what will happen if he stops exactly, but he knows the monsters will get him. The thought terrifies him enough for him to run faster. He is running so fast that he doesn't watch where he is going and before he knows it, he has tripped over his paws and sprawls on the ground, leaving him breathless. He tries to get up, ignoring the pain in his front paw. But it is too late.

One of the monsters tackle him and grins down at him, gnashing its teeth. _"Badgerstar!"_ It howls in his face, and leans forward.

When it speaks this time, the voice is different. "Shh, be quiet. We don't want anyone to hear, do we?"

And then there is pain, red-hot and blinding and it hurts hurts _hurts_. Badgerstar opens his mouth and **_screams_**-

* * *

><p>"<em>Badgerstar<em>!" A voice yowls urgently.

Badgerstar snaps out out his dream with a frighted yowl, his paw pads damp with sweat. He blinks widely and looks around frantically. As his den comes into view, he lets out a shuddering sigh and collapses in his nest, where moss is scattered from his tossing and turning. He sits up slowly and gives his chest a few licks in order to calm himself. As he listens, pricking his ears to try and find out who yelled, the sound of rushing footsteps reach his ears. He steps out of his den, and feels his fur bristle.

Brightstorm is the first to enter the camp, and behind her trail Owlnose and Crowfrost with Thistleheart bringing up the rear. Badgerstar hurries over, and a heavy ,metallic scent hits his nose. He gets closer, and feels his stomach clench.

Owlnose and Crowfrost are carrying Cloudpaw between them, and Badgerstar can see blood around the apprentice's neck. He blinks hard, not wanting to believe what he's seeing. Just this morning, Cloudpaw had greeted him and had been excited to go on the dawn patrol... He swallows hard, and stops when he reaches Brightstorm.

"What happened?"

Brightstorm is bleeding from some wounds, but her eyes are blazing. "We had a confrontation with ThunderClan..." As she explains what happened on the patrol, cats are starting to emerge from their dens and as they spot Cloudpaw, eyes widen and pelts bristle. Badgerstar, his eyes still on Cloudpaw's body, flicks his tail.

"Take her to Smokeberry. Then, I want you and some of the others in my den," he replies.

His voice wavers a little, and he swallows nervously. Brightstorm gives a curt nod and instructs Owlnose and Crowfrost to the medicine cat den. As they cross the clearing, Badgerstar can see his Clan fully emerge from their dens and when they catch a glimpse of Cloudpaw, shock and surprise flit across their faces. Whispers start up quickly.

"What happened?"

"Is that... Cloudpaw?"

"They ran into trobule, but what kind? An ambush?"

Badgerstar tries to ignore them, and kneads his paws on the ground. He knows he should calm the Clan, but they can wait a little longer; right now, he wants to talk with some of his warriors. He sees Thistleheart emerge from the den, and beckons the blue-gray tom over.

"Can you gather Brightstorm, Crowfrost, Rowanwhisker, Stormfire and Hazelfoot please?"

Thistleheart stares at him for only a moment, and then gives a curt nod as he goes off to round up the selected cats. As the black and white tom turns to head back into his den, he sees Lilypool emerge from the nursery, her eyes betraying her panic and concern.

"She's with Smokeberry," he explains and she doesn't say anything, just runs over to the medicine cat den.

Badgerstar slips into his den and sits down; Thistleheart should be gathering the selected few now. A heartbeat later, he sees the blue-gray warrior approach his den and flick his tail; Brightstorm and the orhers file inside. What's surprising is that Nightfeather is with them.

"I want to hear this too," she mews softly and sits down. The others do as well, and now with six other cats in the den, Badgerstar is reminded of how his nest looks; he tries to make it look somewhat presentable, brushing away stray bits of moss.

"What happened, exactly?" He asks.

"We found ThunderClan scent markers near our borders; they were trying to push in. We found a patrol led by Stoneclaw, and we exchanged words." Brightstorm begins, and he sees her tense.

"They said we were weak," Crowfrost rumbles, and Hazelfoot and Rowanwhisker hiss sharply.

"Specifically, they said _you_ were weak, Badgerstar," Brightstorm elaborates, and he flinches. During his time in the forest, ThunderClan and ShadowClan's rivalry seemed to go back quite a bit, at least. He knows that Spiderstar has never cared for him, and she isn't afraid to show it. But to call his Clan weak...

"She can call me weak all she wants -" He sees his warriors bristle and Brightstorm opens her mouth to object, but he flicks his tail.

"She can. However, ShadowClan is _not_ weak," he mews confidently. Badgerstar doesn't mind if cats put him down; he's used to it. But not ShadowClan as a whole. Never ShadowClan.

"After that, they said they wanted more territory. Something about growing larger. We declined, and they attacked." Brightstorm continues.

"One of their apprentices injured Cloudpaw," Crowfrost finishes, and Stormfire growls. Sitting side by side, the two toms with yellow eyes could maybe be mistaken for siblings.

Badgerstar mulls this information over, and says, "So, any suggestions on where to go from here?"

"Show them we mean business," Hazelfoot mews firmly. Rowanwhikers nods in agreement. However, Nightfeather is looking thoughtful.

"Well, they know we'll most likely want revenge... So, instead of giving them that, maybe we could try talking to them?" The black and white she-cat suggests.

"Talk to them? About what, exactly?" Crowfrost asks.

Nightfeather turns to her leader. "You could take two warriors with you, and go talk to Spiderstar. Tell her ShadowClan won't forgive them and if they try anything, they'll have to deal with us. And we could bring it up at the next Gathering."

Badgerstar smiles. "That might work," he mews.

"I say we attack them like they did us," Hazelfoot mews.

"But if they're expecting that, they'll be prepared for it," Rowanwhisker says and Nightfeather nods.

"If we go talk to them, we could maybe have a better chance than just straight up attacking," she mews quietly, wrapping her tail around her paws. Badgerstar looks at his warriors, and thinks that maybe talking could work. Maybe.

"I'll go talk with Spiderstar, tomorrow. And we'll address it at the Gathering, obviously." He says, and stands up. The assembled cats do as well and start to file out of the den. Nightfeather stops and turns, before hurrying back over to Badgerstar.

"I think talking couldn't hurt. Spiderstar will see reason in that, I think," she says and then she is gone. Badgerstar follows her out of his den and calls the Clan together.

"ShadowClan! Today, some of our warriors had a confrontation with ThunderClan; they attacked Cloudpaw and were trying to move into our territory." He pauses as enraged yowls fill the air before continuing.

"I will go to ThunderClan to speak with Spiderstar tomorrow. In the meantime, I want patrols to be careful when around that side of the border, and make sure to remark our borders as well."

He flicks his tail, dismissing them. Cats break off into different groups, each talking worriedly to one another. Badgerstar starts across the clearing to Smokeberry's den and when he arrives, he is surprised to see Redkit there. The kit is sitting next to Smokeberry, listening intently as the medicine cat explains what he is giving Cloudpaw, as Lilypool hovers nearby.

"How is she?" Badgerstar asks softly.

Smokeberry looks up, whiskers twitching. "Not very well, to be honest. The wound is pretty deep..." He trails off, and presses more cobwebs onto the wound. Badgerstar feels anger flare up within him. ThunderClan should be ashamed, attacking someone as innocent as Cloudpaw. Spiderstar will make sure to hear about this. The black and white tom exchanges a few more words with the medicine cat, before stepping out of the den. As he is leaving, Owlnose is hurrying over, carrying a piece of prey in his jaws. The brown warrior slips into the den, and sits down next to his apprentice, tail tip flicking nervously.

Badgerstar sends a quick prayer to StarClan that Cloudpaw survives the night. For Owlnose's sake. And Lilypool's. And the whole of ShadowClan's as well.

He doesn't want to know what will happen if she doesn't.

* * *

><p>Cloudpaw doesn't survive the night.<p>

Badgerstar knows this, because at around moonhigh, Brightstorm appears at the entrance to his den and delivers the grim news.

As he emerges from the den, he can see Cloudpaw in the middle of camp with Lilypool beside her. Owlnose is a few tail-lengths away, and Badgerstar can see his whiskers drooping. He approaches slowly, and looks down. Cloudpaw's fur is neatly groomed, and her eyes are closed. If he didn't know better, he would think she was asleep.

He sits back and waits while other cats press their noses into her fur, and murmur goodbyes. Juniperpaw gives her a lick on the head, before moving on. Snakestream - a brown tom with black markings - places a flower near her and whispers something before making way for the next cat. Cat after cat file past, paying their respects until it is just Badgerstar and Owlnose left.

He crouches down next to Cloudpaw, and noses her fur. "I'm sorry," he whispers, feeling a pang of guilt. He will go speak to ThunderClan as soon as he can. He steps away to leave Owlnose alone, and walks back to his den.

He hopes he is dong the right thing.

* * *

><p><strong>so, cloudpaw died. :c which sucks, because i had plans for her. she never got her warrior name, either.<strong>

**so, readers, what do you think of badgerstar's decision to go and talk with thunderclan? would you do the same if you were in his position? also, what do you think badgerstar's dream means? **

**next chapter will focus on a new pov in shadowclan. **

**please tell me what you thought! c: thanks!**

**-chocobo**


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